Q&As

The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors (BOG) has challenged the Postal Regulatory Commission on several of its rate recommendations, including those for standard mail flats, or catalogs.

Virgin Megastores has set the lineup for its Virgin College Mega Tour, shifting to hip-hop from traditional rock.

Volvo has launched a teaser campaign for its upcoming treasure hunt tied to the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.

For once, I’m proud of direct marketers’ inaction. Unlike one brand marketer, DMers have avoided taking advantage of a new “new medium.”

The United States Postal Service has teamed up with Lucasfilm Ltd., those fine people who brought us the “Star Wars” sextilogy. Together, they are promoting a soon-to-be released series of stamps featuring characters from these movies. As part of the promotional effort, the Post Office is covering 400 mailboxes around the country with wraps that transform the boxes into R2-D2, a “droid” who resembles a garbage can.

Underwear manufacturer Hanes splashed actress Christina Applegate across its most recent catalog, which features a variety of tee shirts, underwear, and other apparel. The Wildlife Conservation Society’s most recent mailing uses a voucher design – a rara avis for a fundraising piece. And Corporate Writer & Editor’s subscription solicitation package promises “More than $500 worth of free stuff inside!”

A Congressional subcommittee heard testimony from the direct marketing industry, interactive ad firms and consumer advocates last week as it considered whether to push for a bill protecting Web users from spyware or other privacy invasions online.

Nickelodeon went big for its first-ever retail sponsor for the Kids Choice Awards, signing Wal-Mart for the event.

Pepsico is putting another foot forward to extend its Smart Spot health-and-wellness initiative.

After reviewing dozens of entries, Southwest Airlines has named a winner in its national consumer-generated ad contest.

(Multichannel Merchant) Predictive modeling has been widely adopted in the direct marketing industry. So much so, it has become the direct marketer’s best friend.